You have to try this...Emma swears by it! Much better than any ointment we have tried ever....

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Well tomorrow marks 34 weeks and counting. We had a great visit with the midwife yesterday. She feels everything is going remarkedly well. I have gained right at 18 pounds, but that is from my start weight, I also lost ten pounds, so I think I have actually gained 28 pounds all together, but she doesn't count the ten I lost down to. Which is a good thing! The baby is in a good position, needs to rotate a little but okay for now. My hemoglobin is back up again, it was 9.3 and is now 12.3 YAY!!! So no wonder I have had more energy!! So everything else is a go. We have a home visit in two weeks. And from then we are just on wait mode. It could be anywhere from three to sixish weeks!!! maybe even more if we are late.

The kids helped me bake pies yesterday. We made an apple, pecan, and German Chocolate pecan pies all from scratch, including the crust. Remind me never to be so ambitious with that many little hands around. With mom's help washing dishes, it only took a little over two hours, but boy~ I was tired when it was done. The kids had a great time though. Bubby loves to help as much as Emma does, no matter if it is cooking, cleaning, or building things.

Today we are set to go through all the kids clothes that have been outgrown and we haven't gotten put up in the attic yet. Fun times, huh? Hopefully the kids will cooperate. Bubby got up way early this morning, so he may actually take a nap. It is such a toss up for me because most times it is a lot easier to let him stay up all day and go to bed earlier. But sometimes I just cannot make it, especially because Tal doesn't get home until late at night. Tonight he is supposed to have a community pep rally, not sure if he will go or not. And tomorrow night, the game doesn't even start until 8pm. (which is the kids bedtime). So we won't see him pretty much until Saturday morning, at which time he again has to leave and go coach two basketball games. So we will for sure see him on Sunday~ life with a high school basketball coach! But be on the lookout for Millington Central High School! They are good!!!

Well, time to go chase two little ones and sort clothes at the same time!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Well, it has been forever since I really wrote an update. I have found that I get stuck just using Facebook and should be busy doing other things even then. But I thought I would give a little update on our very crazy busy life!

Tal is doing great in school. He had his first observation about a month ago and passed with flying colors. His main struggle has been classroom management, and he has picked up some great pointers and is doing much better. He starts his masters in teaching in January. Praise the Lord, we found a program that is entirely online. With three small children, teaching, and coaching basketball, we weren't exactly sure when he would fit in actually going to class. This has been one of the greatest finds of the fall!!! Basketball starts in full force next week. He has been having practices for the last two months, but nothing like the extra games here and there on top of the practices. For now, practices have been every other week he is there until 4:30, which means almost six when he gets home. And the other weeks he practices until 6:30, which means more like 8 when he gets home. So very long days when he leave our house by 5am every day. But we are so thankful for his job. And coaching is just part of it. He is officially the JV coach and the assistant coach to the varsity. Millington Central High School is 29th in the country, 6th in the region, and I found them ranked first in the state!!!! So it looks like our season will more than likely be extended by an extra four weeks to include local/regional/state tournaments! But how much fun is going to state if you are having to coach!!! Tal's dad used to say he would have all girls and have his own girl's basketball team. Well, I don't think he meant it this way, but Tal is coaching girls!!!!

Emma Grace is getting so excited about turning four! Well, she has been excited about turning four since she turned three! and is already talking about turning five. hehe She is very into "school" right now. and loves to write letters and numbers. We have started basic french. I am learning right along side her. We are having fun together. She is LOVING ballet/gymnastics. She goes every Tuesday and practices while we are at home. She has her first recital in January! I am hoping to make it. She is a big helper around the house. Loves to cook and clean. She has grown in leaps and bounds with her tendency to whine, she is really trying to learn not to whine to get her way. She really wants to be a boss (what first born girl doesn't) She asked me the other day when could she be a real boss (we have told her she is a boss, but the boss of herself and all she can boss herself is to tell herself to obey her mom and dad). So she was wanting to know if she had gotten big enough to boss her brother yet. She was very disappointed when the answer was no. She seems to have adjusted well to my grandfather's death. I wasn't sure how she would react since almost half of her life, he has lived with her. But she assures us all that he is in heaven. At the funeral, she insisted on viewing his body, which was a half opened casket. Later that day she was very puzzled and asked, Mom, we saw his head and arms, but what did they do with his legs and feet??? Try explaining that one even though they were in the box, she just did not understand. But she tells everyone that he is in heaven and we will see him one day.

James Elliot is getting soooo big. Not necessarily in stature, but definitely in overall maturity. He is talking up a storm and will try to say just about anything. Last night after sneezing, instead of saying, "my nose" or something like that he said, "Mom, kleenex". He is really into cars, trains, and blocks. He has gotten to be hard to get him to eat because he is so busy. But it doesn't seem to bother him so far. I have started a new tradition or rule I guess, I fix us all the same lunch and have it at the table ready to eat before I call them in. I make them sit and watch one Blue's Clues while I get it ready. Bubby my picky eater, has actually eaten veggies two days in a row with lunch! And I am not constantly up and down during lunch. It has worked out great! Why did I not do this before. He is talking a lot about the baby lately. So I think he is starting to sort of figure it out. But of course it is going to rock his world!!!! I cannot believe he is about to be two. He is such my sweet heart. Loves to make people smile and laugh.

The baby is officially 33 weeks today. So only about four to seven weeks left to go....YIKES!!! I am excited and nervous all that the same time. We are not nearly ready for this little one. I haven't pulled out a bit of baby stuff yet. But will probaby do that later in month or early December. This baby moves a lot lately. Hopefully that is not indicative of a very active baby because I am due a quiet baby! but if not, at least I am very used to active babies!!! Mine cannot ever be accused of lacking initiative or energy....

And me, well, I am ready to be done with this pregnancy, but thanking God that things are moving along and healthy. It has been more challenging being pregnant with a two year old boy, whose go button stays lit up. Also, with Tal's schedule being so demanding, it has been very difficult to rest any at all. Plus, I am still recooperating from taking care of my grandfather, especially that last two months. I also have been struggling with low hemoglobin levels which has made me even more tired than I should be. Hopefully when I go into the midwife next Wednesday they will find that this is correcting itself. I have been bulking up on the iron, but still am having trouble feeling up to par. don't know whether to attribute it to late in pregnancy or really not feeling well.

The holidays will prove to be even busier than we have ever been. Tal has basketball tournaments starting next weekend all the way until after new years. Almost back to back, including on Thanksgiving DAy! UGH but thankful for a job. Then we have two birthdays to celebrate, not to mention my mom's and two brothers, but the kids remind me daily we have to celebrate theirs and since we did not get it done this summer! And last but certainly not least we have the arrival of our new little bundle of joy sometime in the middle of all that! Life is great!

Saturday, November 01, 2008

For those who don't know through facebook or the arcaic phone, Big Daddy, Thomas Houser, breathed his last breaths at 12:38am this morning. God was so gracious and allowed all of his children as well as his two oldest grandchildren and oldest great granddaughter to be in the room with him as he passed from the earthly world into heaven. We are so thankful for all the love and support and prayers that we have been the great recipients of. God has been good to us to allow us to walk this road with my grandfather.

Funeral plans are tenatively set for Monday afternoon, but we will update with more specific plans. The funeral will be in Jackson, TN. His home of many years.